Department of Radiology, 12215University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
College of Medicine, 12215University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
J Child Neurol. 2022 May;37(6):471-490. doi: 10.1177/08830738221083487. Epub 2022 Mar 7.
Quantitative tractography using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data is widely used in characterizing white matter microstructure throughout childhood, but more studies are still needed to investigate comprehensive brain-behavior relationships between tract-specific white matter measures and multiple cognitive functions in children.
In this study, we analyzed diffusion-weighted MRI data of 71 healthy 8-year-old children utilizing white matter tract-specific quantitative measures derived from diffusion-weighted MRI tractography based on a novel track-weighted imaging approach. Track density imaging, average path length map and 4 track-weighted diffusion tensor imaging measures including: mean diffusivity, fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity were computed for 63 white matter tracts. The track-weighted imaging measures were then correlated with a comprehensive set of neuropsychological test scores in different cognitive domains including intelligence, language, memory, academic skills, and executive functions to identify tract-specific brain-behavior relationships.
Significant correlations ( < .05, false discovery rate corrected; = 0.27-0.57) were found in multiple white matter tracts, with a total of 40 correlations identified between various track-weighted imaging measures including average path length map, track-weighted imaging-fractional anisotropy, and neuropsychological test scores and subscales. Specifically, track-weighted imaging measures indicative of better white matter connectivity and/or microstructural development significantly correlated with higher IQ and better language abilities.
Our findings demonstrate the ability of track-weighted imaging measures in establishing associations between white matter and cognitive functioning in healthy children and can serve as a reference for normal brain/cognition relationships in young school-age children and further aid in identifying imaging biomarkers predictive of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.
使用弥散加权磁共振成像（DWI）数据进行定量轨迹描绘，广泛应用于描述儿童整个童年时期的白质微观结构，但仍需要更多的研究来探讨特定于轨迹的白质测量值与多种认知功能之间的全面脑-行为关系。
在这项研究中，我们分析了 71 名健康 8 岁儿童的弥散加权 MRI 数据，这些儿童的白质微观结构采用基于新型轨迹加权成像方法的弥散张量成像（DTI）轨迹描绘技术得出的特定于轨迹的定量测量值。计算了 63 条白质束的轨迹密度成像、平均路径长度图以及 4 种基于轨迹加权的 DTI 测量值，包括：平均弥散度、各向异性分数、轴向弥散度和径向弥散度。随后，将轨迹加权成像测量值与不同认知领域的一系列神经心理学测试分数进行相关性分析，包括智力、语言、记忆、学业技能和执行功能，以确定特定于轨迹的脑-行为关系。
在多个白质束中发现了显著的相关性（ < .05，经错误发现率校正；= 0.27-0.57），共有 40 个相关性在各种轨迹加权成像测量值（包括平均路径长度图、轨迹加权成像各向异性分数）和神经心理学测试分数及其子量表之间被确定。具体而言，轨迹加权成像测量值表明更好的白质连通性和/或微观结构发育与更高的智商和更好的语言能力显著相关。
我们的研究结果表明，轨迹加权成像测量值能够建立健康儿童白质与认知功能之间的关联，并为年轻学龄儿童的正常大脑/认知关系提供参考，进一步有助于确定预测不良神经发育结果的影像学生物标志物。
